Ariana Grande is one ‘Dangerous Woman’
by Rob Howard
Associate Editor
Take pop artist Ariana Grande any way you want. She is an ardent supporter of LGBTQ rights. She performs at LGBTQ events. She helps fellow ally Miley Cyrus’ foundation fighting LGBTQ homelessness. She calls her brother ‘my ultimate gay icon.” And her music has gay undertones.
Grande’s Break Your Heart Right Back is about a guy leaving a girl for a guy. “It’s one of my favorites on the album [My Everything],” she told UK’s Metro a year ago. “And it’s really funny because I believe it has happened to me. I’m not 100 percent positive but I’m 99.9 per cent positive...I would rather he cheats on me with a guy than with a girl any day! If I found out my boyfriend was gay, I would be like ‘OK!’ I’d be so relieved.”
In an interview with Vmagazine’s Ryan Murphy, she talked about how her views on LGBTQ rights got started. “I was raised in a household where being gay was like, the most normal thing,” Grande said. “You know, my brother is gay, all of my best friends are gay.
“When my brother came out of the closet, it wasn’t a big deal for my family. Even my grandpa, who is like, super old-school, was like, ‘Good for you!’ It’s outrageous to me when I see people hate on someone because of their sexuality. I hate the intolerance. I hate the judgment. I hate it so much.”
She made clear to Murphy her feelings about homophobic people. “I would literally become a raging lunatic because I just can't take it,” she said, referring to people directing intolerance toward her gay friends or her brother. “When you see someone you love hurting, for such a superficial, bullshit reason, it's like, how small and spiritually unenlightened and dumb as fuck can a person be?”
In 2015, Grande headlined for the annual Pride “Dance on the Pier” in New York City. Out Magazine referred to her as “the next generation of diva” when it announced her performance at NYC Pride’s biggest fundraiser.
Ariana Grande’s album "Dangerous Woman". File photo.
Gayly music critic Taylor Brunwald wrote about Grande’s single Dangerous Woman last April, saying, “Ariana Grande, the pop world’s Lolita, continues her reign with Dangerous Woman, an erotic R&B ballad that would fit perfectly into the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack.
“The obvious influence of her former Love Me Harder duet partner The Weeknd is clear throughout, undeniably steamy and sexual although noticeably lacking in vulgarity. This latest single is some of her best work yet.”
Now, folks in The Gayly’s region can see Ariana Grande in person. She starts her Dangerous Woman Tour in Phoenix on February 2, and just one week later, on February 9, she will be in Tulsa at the BOK Center. At the writing of this article, tickets were available starting at $53, at www.bankofoklahomacenter.com and Ticketmaster, or by phone at (866) 7-BOK-CTR.
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Copyright 2017 The Gayly - 1/31/2017 @ 7:32 a.m.